


Against The World

by SkeleStars



Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate
Genre: F/M, Human, Interspecies, Romance, Some sin, andalite, no story is complete without a little gay tbh, not a lot of sin, some gay here and there, uhhhh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-03-01 08:47:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13291332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkeleStars/pseuds/SkeleStars
Summary: Twenty years after the war, a young Andalite with a rather strange past meets a human girl living on the streets.The two become close, through thick and thin they'll stay together.It's them against the world.





	1. Chapter 1

It wasn't too long ago I met this human, but yet, in the span of a few earth months, she suddenly meant the universe to me. I had never expected to feel this strongly about anyone in my life, much less for an alien female.

I remember reading about xenophilia, how humans were prone to it because they loved new, interesting things. Maybe the same was for Andalites.

\----

I was walking around the city, cars and people slowing to stare at me as I had not found a human morph yet. I didn't mind the attention, but it did get a little annoying being followed by camera flashes.

Suddenly, a small human darted around the corner and collided into me, stumbling back on her strange legs. I assumed she was female by the long, medium brown fur that grew from her head, and also the typical feminine figure, although I had been talked to that not all females looked like that.

She looked at me, stunned, large amber eyes blinking up at me before I heard the sound of yells. At their arrival, she whipped around in the way I had always been startled by in humans, then took off in the opposite direction.

I was curious as to why this human was being chased, and if she needed any assistance, so I simply followed along until she became cornered in an alleyway.

<Hello, do you need help? I-->

"Not now, blue boy! I gotta get outta here." She frantically scanned the dank walls and growled (a fascinating sound!) angrily.

Her eyes landed upon me once again and the fur above her eyes rose and unwrinkled. "Hey... you wanted to help, right?"

<Yes, I suppose, but->

This audacious human sprang upon my back and straddled me, attacking my dignity. Ride me like a common pack animal?!

I bucked, throwing her off and she hit the cold cement with an 'oof!' I whirled around and hissed, <How rude! You shall not ride me like some farm animal!>

"Damn. I was hoping you didn't know what a horse was."

<I didn't come here knowing nothing about this planet. I did research.>

"Okay, ponyboy. I need help. See, I got these guys running after me because I stole something. Don't ask what," she said, cutting me off, "but I need to get out of here."

<I would rather not associate with thieves.> I began to walk off and she grabbed my tail.

"Nononono, you gotta help me!! They'll do really bad things to me, those guys."

<If you stole something, perhaps you deserve it.>

"Look, it was _food_ , okay? I kinda need that to survive! Sustenance!! You can't just find it anywhere!"

<What? Isn't grass everywhere?>

"I don't EAT GRASS!"

<Calm down, shouldn't the government-->

"The government doesn't care! I gotta get out of here-"

"There she is!"

I turned a stalk and saw a few humans dressed in "police" uniforms, and a very enraged regular human.

They stopped when they saw me.

"S-Sir, uh..."

<Yes?>

"Please step aside."

The girl looked at me with big amber eyes, begging for me to help her. The police drew his weapon as a couple seconds went by.

<I apologize, I cannot do that.>

"Sir-"  
I snapped my tail three times, and the humans slumped to the ground.

"Wh-- you killed them, oh my god-"

<I did not!> I said hotly. <They are merely unconscious.>

"Well let's get out of here!"

<You'll have to walk with me if you want to look inconspicuous. From my knowledge humans don't regularly ride Andalites.>  
\---

  
"So, you have a family? What brought you to earth?"

<My brother is a warrior taking a vacation. He actually didn't want to come, but my father had already planned it for him. I decided to come along.>

"Good thing you did."

<I suppose. What about your family?>

"Lets change the topic."

<Ah, are you an orphan?>

_"I said change the topic."_

<I apologize for prying.>

She rolled her eyes and placed a hand on my withers, stroking down my lower half's back.

"You're soft."

<Thank you?>

"And fluffy. Your fur is nice."

<Ah.>

"Humans don't have fur, did you notice? We only have hair."

<Oh, you call it hair!! On your head and face.>

She rubbed her chin and upper lip. "Hey!"

<What?>

The human rolled her eyes again.

<I meant the fur above your eyes. And on top of your head.>

"Oh, eyebrows and hair. I thought I had a mustache. You know, hair on your lip."

<You do.>

She hit my arm with a closed fist.

<Ouch!>

"Don't be a jerk."

<Humans are very strange.>

"You said it, alien man."


	2. Chapter 2

Our conversation seemed to end as we slowed down on an empty sidewalk, far enough from the unconscious officers to be safe.

"Bye, I guess." The human began to walk faster, but I simply followed. I needed to go this direction anyways.

  
<Do you not have a home?>

  
"Nah, ran away."

  
<Ah. Why?>

  
"Didn't we go over this?"

  
<Sorry.>

  
I stopped in front of the hotel labeled "Andalite Friendly!" <Are you going to be alright by yourself?>

  
"Me? Psh. I'll be fine."

  
<You can come in, you know. We have a bath, and food.>

  
"... maybe for a little."  
\----  
I unlocked the door and breathed a sigh of relief. Good. Terimese wasn't here.

  
"Whoa, this place is huge!!"

  
<Yes, princes tend to own nicer things.>

  
"You're royalty?!"

  
<What's that?>

  
"Kings and queens and stuff. Government."

  
<Ah. No, it's a rank in the military. Aristh, warrior, prince, captain. There's more, but that's the basics.>

  
"Wow. We have uhhhh.... colonel, which is spelled way different than the way you say it, and general. Um..."

  
<Do you have an education?>

  
The human flopped onto my nest. "Kinda. I ran away in eighth grade."

  
<How old are you?>

  
"How old are you?"

  
<Forty eight.>

  
"Oh my god!"

  
<In human years that is... divide by three... sixteen, I believe.>

  
"Oh."

  
<Andal years are about two thirds shorter than Earth years.>

  
"Ohhhhhh."

  
<You seem to like my nest.>

  
"Hell yeah. These are such nice cushions!"

  
<I am glad you like them.> I was smiling for the first time in a while, or rather the Andalite equivalent of one.

  
"You said food, right?"

  
<I can order a human pizza up here.>

  
"YEAH!" She threw her fist into the air and I laughed. An Andalite would never behave this way, so seeing her mannerisms so different from mine got a chuckle out of me.

  
We ordered a large pizza. "Mozzarella!! Stuffed crust and anything you've got, put it on there!! I'm HUNGRY!!"

  
<Please, calm yourself. Do you not regularly eat?> Her baggy clothes did not allow me to see how thin she was, but I assumed if she was this excited about simple food she must have starved.

  
"How about you calm yourself, bub? By the way, how are you gonna pay for it?"

  
I realized that every time I tried to ask her about herself, she avoided the question. Why did she refuse to say anything about herself to me?

  
Could she be... no, that was ridiculous. If she was infested she would have a place to go, whether it be a ship or a Yeerk pool. Besides, the laws now dictated that Yeerks were not allowed onto this planet unless signing a peace treaty, stating persecution if they infested an unwilling host.

  
<I have human money. My brother got it from the government here. They practically begged him to stay here. So now we get people coming in all the time, trying to take a photograph of my older brother. I suppose he may be rather dashing, but I just don't see it.>

  
The girl rolled over in my nest so she no longer faced me.

  
"Nice."

  
How was it that she could respond to long sentences with one word replies and be satisfied? Was it a culture thing? Perhaps it wasn't rude where she came from.

  
<Ah, I never got your name.>

  
"I didn't get yours either."

  
<Ornery-Terdena-Jorvaskr. And yours?>

  
"That's a weird name."

  
<Please answer my question.>

  
"Do all Andalites have strange names?"

  
<Human, I'd like to know your name.>

  
"Not a lot of people have long names. Yours sounds like gibberish."

  
<Hello?>

  
"Then again, most names are gibberish. Like Goldenhiem. What does that even mean?"

  
I snapped my tail and she jumped, eyeing my blade. <I. Asked. A question.>

  
"Ashley."

  
<What?>

  
She looked at me angrily. "My name is Ashley."

  
<I don't know why it took so long for you to tell me that.>

  
"Maybe I don't like telling it to people."

  
<You deserve to be called something other than "human".>

  
Ashley was quiet for a very long time. I assumed she had fallen asleep in my nest.

  
"Nobody ever said that to me before."

  
<What?>

  
"That I deserve something. It's always "be grateful", or like I've gotta give them info about me since they helped me."

  
<Nobody deserves to be called anything other than loving names.>

  
Ashley was quiet once again.

  
<Did I say something wrong?>

  
"I've never met anyone like you."

  
<Pardon?>

  
"You're very nice. You know."

  
<I suppose I am polite.>

  
"Except for when you kicked me off earlier."

  
<Ah. I apologize.>

  
"It's cool."


	3. Chapter 3

I had fallen asleep in my brothers nest while Ashley ate the entire pizza and proceeded to pass out as well. I did not hear the door open, nor did I hear my brother's hooves reach my nest.

  
<WHAT is THIS?!>

  
I jerked out of the nest and stood up wildly, and evolutionary tactic we had evolved for startling noises during sleep.  
<Wh-- Terimese! I can explain->

  
"Whoa! He's huge!"

  
<Ashley, keep your mouth shut!>

  
<What is a human doing in MY space? Ornery, did you do this?!>

  
<Please, let me explain, brother-->

  
<OUT!> He roared. <Leave at once!>

  
Ashley, for once, had no comebacks and scrambled to her feet.

  
"Thanks, Ornery!" She called as she human-galloped out of the room.

  
<WHAT did you do. What did you do?!>

  
<Calm down, I just gave her some food! She was starving!!>

  
<She could have killed you!>

  
<But she didn't!!>

  
<Do you have no sense of self preservation?!> His tail blade was quivering in anger.

  
<Do you have no sense of anything other than selfishness?!>

  
My brothers eyes widened, locking onto mine and I took in his looks. Big, angry, and pale colored.

  
And about to strike me.

  
Terimese managed to stop his tail before he could slap me, and instead took a deep breath before he finally moved his eyes away from mine.

  
<You look just like our mother.>

  
<Don't say that.>

  
He was silent. What is with people and being quiet?

  
<It's not a lie.>

  
<Are you saying I act like her too?>

  
My brother looked pained. <Ornery->

  
<No. No, tell me. What made you think that?>

  
<Your face was strangely intense just now.>

  
<Maybe because I'm angry, you ginormous dolt!>

  
On the last word I struck my idiot brother across the shoulder with the flat of my blade, knocking him off balance.

  
<I care about people, unlike you.>

  
My brother just looked at the ground, and I knew I had struck a nerve.

  
<You're just like her.>

  
It was spat out, full of hate I thought I would never hear out of my brother.

  
I couldn't take it. I _couldn't_ take it anymore.

  
I'm not proud to say it, but I ran from that building. I ran from my brother and I ran from his accusations, however true they might have been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaa sorry this one was so short!!!


	4. Chapter 4

A few days later I found the human girl again sitting on a sidewalk, propping herself up with an elbow. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, but hesitated.

  
<Hello, Ashley.>

  
Now she smiled, and took off at a full run towards me. I thought she was going to grab me and "hug" me as I had seen before, but she stopped right in front of me.

  
I was slightly disappointed, although I wasn't sure why.

  
"Hey Ornery!! I can't tell the difference between Andalites so I wasn't sure if it was you."

  
<Hello. It is, in fact, me.>

  
"Didja bring any food?"

  
<No, unfortunately. However, I do have access to my brother's bank account, if you want to go get something.>  
"Hell yeah!!"

  
\----  
We ordered something from a taco place, and it turned out they had seen quite a few Andalites in their restaurants. Well, not out of morph, I suppose.

  
People eyed me as Ashley devoured her food. She ate with the same vigor as before, and I watched, fascinated.

  
<Do you want me to supply meals for you, Ashley?>

  
"Yeah!! Yeah yeah yeah!!"

  
<I suppose you're excited?> I teased.

  
"Yeah!!"

  
I laughed. <You know, we ought to buy you a place to live, but....>

  
"I don't need a house. My cardboard box is all I need."

  
<Humans live in cardboard boxes?>

  
"Not many. But I do." Ashley paused on her burrito, chewing thoughtfully. I think that was the first time I even saw her chew.

  
<I suppose you're a minority, then?>

  
"Uh.... Kinda? I'm half white, and.... oh! A percentage. A minority of people who live in boxes. I thought you were being racist. Yeah, I guess. A lot of people have it worse than me."

  
<Half white?>

  
"Um... European."

  
<Ah. And the other half?>

  
"Hispanic. Which is a minority. Majority in some places."

  
<Oh. What's Hispanic and European?>

  
"Forget it."

  
<If you say so...?>

  
Ashley went back to her burrito and looked a bit perturbed that I didn't know what she was talking about.

  
<I suppose Hispanicans and Europeans are beautiful.>

  
"Yeah. And the term is Hispanics."

  
<Ah.>

  
She stopped for a moment and looked at me incredulously. <What?>

  
"Um..."

  
Ashley continued to eat her burrito. Her face had a slight tinge of color to it, which I found strange. Didn't a red face mean a human was sick?

  
<Are you feeing alright?>

  
"What? Yeah, why?"

  
I placed a slender hand on her forehead.

<You're warm.>

  
"Yeah. It's hot in here."

  
<Oh.> I placed my hand back on the table, and she grabbed it.

  
"That... that felt nice though, since your hand was cold."

  
She put it back on her forehead and I felt her face become even warmer.

  
<Are you sure you're alright?>

  
"Yeah, I'm fine."

  
<You can tell me if you're sick.>

  
"I'm not sick. It's just hot in here."

  
<If you say so.>  
\----  
<My brother feels guilty, so you can likely spend the night at my room.>

  
"Really? What's he feel guilty about?"

  
I wanted to say 'for me being born' but I supposed she'd simply respond in a one word answer, and I didn't see the point.

  
<We got into a fight.>

  
I felt her step closer to me as we walked.

  
"About what?"

  
I got the feeling she was waiting for me to say something specific.

  
<About how selfish he is.>

  
"Oh."

  
Ashley fell in step behind me, looking at the sky. Her hair colored like human coffee swayed in the light of the setting sun, and it drew my eye.

  
<Your fur is lovely.>

  
"My fur?"

  
<On your head.>

  
"Oh! My hair. Agh, don't look at it. I haven't used proper shampoo in like, three weeks. I couldn't find any bottles in the trash behind Walmart."

  
<Shampoo? We have that. Do you need it?>

  
"YES!! Dear god yes, I need it like AIR in my LUNGS."

  
<Alright, you're welcome to use it!> I laughed and gently bumped her with my tail.  
\----  
I walked into the bathroom and she shrieked, dunking her upper body into the water.

  
"What are you doing?!!"

  
<I'm... going to bathe?>

  
"Y-You can't do that, I'm in here!"

  
Ahsley's face was an even brighter scarlet than before, and I quickly became worried.

  
<Should you turn down the water's heat? Your face is red.>

  
"Get out!! You can't be in here!"

  
<Why not? My brother and I share a bath. It saves water and keeps the hotel off our tails.>

  
"I'm naked!"

  
<I'm not sure what that means.>

  
"It means DON'T COME IN!"

  
Ashley threw a bottle of fur conditioner at me and it hit me square in the chest. I noticed she held something, as her other arm was held across her chest as she chucked bath soaps at me.

  
<Hey!>

  
"Get out!!"

  
She hurled more items at me and I decided to leave quite quickly.

  
"It's called privacy, asshole!" She hollered as one last bottle was thrown after me out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

"So you can turn into different animals? Like, you're a shapeshifter?"

Ashley now smelled of basically male Andalite, from the bath and from my fur's natural scent alone. Her human scent still hid under there, but I supposed I would need to buy her human shampoo, if that was a thing.

She had put on her old clothes after I had taken them down to the laundromat, but the pink shirt and torn black leggings were quite rough looking on her, and I saw some stains they couldn't get out.

<Technically, yes.> I curled my tail and lied down heavily in my nest. <But it is technology based.>

"Tell me."

<I... I apologize, I am unable to tell you how it works.>

The now trimmed fur above her eyes furrowed and her lower lip stuck out. I recognized this gesture as human displeasure.

<It's a law, Ashley, I cannot tell you.>

"Fine, whatever."

Instead of walking away and sulking like I would have done, she simply stepped into my nest and lied next to me on her back, stretched out.

"The ceiling is painted with space."

<Yes, my brother and I quite love it.>

"Cool. I'm not a fan of space. It's too big and scary."

<Have you _seen_ my brother? >

We both had a laugh at that, Ashley's face lighting up in a way I never knew it could.

"Nice. You know, this is pretty comfortable. What's the bed made of?"

<Imported plant fibers and isthon jelly. It's what's usually made to make nests on some ships.>

"Oooo. What's the jelly look like?"

<It's purple on color, and...>

I swiveled an eyestalk to the door. I had heard keys in the lock, but I didn't know if it was my brother.

<Ashley, leave my nest. Quickly.>

She scrambled up and attempted to look inconspicuous.

The door opened and an unfamiliar Andalite stepped into the room. He looked calm for the three seconds he didn't see me.

<I-I apologize, I must be in the wrong room->

"You opened the door though. Someone had to give you the keys."

<I-I... Is Teremese here?>

<My brother is not here, I'm sorry. Who are you?>

The small male's legs shook nervously. <I-I'm sorry, I need to go->

"Hey hey hey hey, you can't just bust in here and then try to leave. I'm a human, I know how human locks work. Someone /gave you those keys. Otherwise you wouldn't have been able to get in. And why are you looking for Ornery's brother? What's your affiliation?"

It was then his Andalite pride poked through his nervousness and he snorted angrily.

<Beg your pardon?! I will not be interrogated by a human, much less one so scruffy as you.>

He left Ashley spluttering as he turned to me. <I do apologize, but I need to->

<Reritar?>

The male turned an eyestalk, and I simply looked to the door. Teremese was in the entrance, looking bewildered and a little more... full of color than usual. A light blush decorated his face.

<Brother-->

<Ornery, do not ask questions. I am not in the mood.>

My brother strode forwards and the smaller male did not display submission by lowering his tail, rather, he raised it in challenge and my body stiffened.

They conversed in private thought speech, and Reritar, I think my brother called him, was displaying signs of serious anger. My explosive brother, the one known for knocking warriors to the ground for looking at him the wrong way, was attempting to placate this male.

"Is it just me or is there something funny going on?" Ashley still seemed quite upset at the comment on her appearance, but the mystery of what this male's strange connection to my brother was more important.

Finally, Reritar left and refused to speak to my brother on his way out. I had never seen Teremese so upset, his ears flat back and his face dejected.

<Big brother?>

<You haven't called me that in years.>

<Who was that?>

<Someone I had expected to come a little bit later. Don't mind it.>

<Aright...>

Who was Reritar? What connection did he have that made my brother go soft? A shorm, maybe? No, my brother wouldn't look so embarrassed to find him in the room.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Currently I needed to take care of Ashley. Per my brother's scalding words- "you want a pet? You take care of it", like she was an animal of some kind.  
My brother could really be a blockhead.  
\-----

I was bringing Ashley to a fast food restaurant, as she seemed to like those the most. I also noticed no matter how much she ate, she couldn't quite put on any weight. I was desperately trying to put some on her, but her metabolism had a different idea.

We were walking through the city, headed to her favorite burger place. She told me she often ate it due to receiving minimal change from bystanders.

"Can I ride on your back?"

<Well... Ah. Why not?>

"Yesssss!"

She hopped on my back and my legs wobbled once again with the effort. She may have been light, but Andalites are not meant for carrying passengers.

"Jeez, you okay?"

<My back is not quite equipped for your weight.>

"I'm not that heavy, Ornery."

<I am aware, Ashley.>

Her face contorted into confusion, I believe. I decided to explain.

<Andalites have strong legs but not strong backs. I'm not used to carrying anything.>

"Ohhhhh."

A few people took pictures as we walked down the sidewalk, my legs wobbling like a newborn child's. Why do I humiliate myself for the enjoyment of the human? I groaned to myself.


End file.
